CURE FOR CONSUMPTION

Grey River Argus, 13 May 1929, Page 2

CURE FOR CONSUMPTION

DEATH RATE DOWN BY HALF

IN FORTY YEARS.

Conquest and cure of tuberculosis in its early stages is an accomplished fact, according to Dr. P. Leonard Keith, medical officer at Bethnal Green. Lecturing at the Winter School for Health Visitors and School Nurses, at Bedfora College for Women, London, Dr. Keich stated that the dea.h rate from tuberculosis had dropped 40 or 50 per cent in the last 40 years. “If" b e continued, “we find a case in an early stage—and by modern diagnostic methods this can easily be detected, provided people will ;ome to us—the disease is qui.o curable." The death late in women had improved more chan in men. v ‘But this death rate has changed not only in sex, but in age, and death now tends to be in the younger periods of life rather than the middle-aged," he added. He attributed the decline in mortality very largely to the improved standards of modern living. Where wages were lowest the death rate was highest. Dr. Keith defined the five great barriers which are still to be broken down as:— Defective notification since the

ascertaining of cases is both incoA plete and in many instances too late. Poverty. Bad housing conditions, which reduce the convalescent’s Chance of recovery and facilitate the spread of the disease among the family. Milk, the staple food of childhood, may contain living tuberculosis bacilli, for which pastuerisation would be an effective safeguard, and the industrial barrier, creating the difficulty of reabsorbing into industry persons capable of v»lj part time employment, and then but intermiLtently. There was a good deal;; of unnecessary nervousness on the part of many people over tuberculosis, remarked Dr. Keith. The majority of people who had the disease were not iafectioqgi,. the publicity about it should dw e pw not so much on its risks, as its curt • bility if taken in time. Ba y Bros, are me only manufactur ers of Pasteurised Milk on the West Coast. Bing Phone 411 and they will call.